Demographics

• Gender: Male

• Race/Ethnicity: Asian

• Residence: Guam, U.S.

• Income Bracket: ~750K

• Type of School: Small Private

• Hooks (Recruited Athlete, URM, First-Gen, Geographic, Legacy, etc.): USC and NYU legacy

Intended Major(s): Psychology

Academics

• GPA (UW): 3.85

• Rank (or percentile): 13/96

• # of Honors/AP/IB/Dual Enrollment/etc.: 5 APs

• Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus AB, Vocation & Justice, AP US Government & Politics, Yearbook & Journalism, Guam Studies, British Literature

Standardized Testing

List the highest scores earned and all scores that were reported.

• Test-optional

• AP: Psychology (5)

Extracurriculars/Activities (As listed on app)

List all extracurricular involvements, including leadership roles, time commitments, major achievements, etc.

• Graphic & Motion Designer, Web Developer

  • Designed graphics, 3D models, & coded websites for personal projects/school use. Self-taught using online resources. Proficient in Adobe PS, AI, & AE.

• Graphic Designer, Junior Achievement Company Program

  • Produced promotional graphics & 3D product models (blue light glasses). Worked under time constraints & had to meet high expectations of partners.

• Contestant, National History Day

  • Conducted extensive research at local university; interviewed governor. Made 2 websites on Guam history. Advanced to 2019 national competition in D.C.

• Founder & Former Operations Director, VirtualBlue

  • Coded a website w/ route booking, pilot report, & rank system. Hosted virtual events in multiplayer flight sim; recruited 45+ fellow aviation geeks.

• President, Chess Club

  • Led meets, hosted tournaments, & managed Discord server. Fostered strong collaboration & sportsmanship. Attained 43 members—10% of student body.

• Editor-in-chief, Yearbook Staff

  • Directed yearbook team, led content development, designed templates, & managed page hierarchy. Coordinated w/ photo studio & printing company.

• Member, National Honor Society

  • Community & campus service projects. Made website, integrated Wordpress CMS w/ custom Bootstrap theme & coded events plugin. Served as AP Psych tutor.

• Student, Private Mandarin Tutoring

  • Personalized lessons. Gained greater appreciation for my mixed background & fortified interest in Chinese. Attained conversational proficiency.

• Student, Tamkang University Chinese Language Center

  • Intensive Mandarin course. Ventured out of comfort zone; immersed in Taiwanese culture. Collaborated w/ international students; made life friends.

Awards/Honors

List all awards and honors submitted on your application.

1. 1st Place, Individual Website Category, Guam History Day (NHD regional affiliate)

2. 2nd Place, Individual Website Category, Guam History Day (NHD regional affiliate)

3. Best Essay Writer, Guam Office of Catholic Education

4. 7x First Honors, (school name redacted)

Letters of Recommendation

AP Psychology/Church History Teacher

Computer Science/Graphic Arts Teacher

Interviews

(Briefly reflect on interview experiences, if applicable.)

Essays

Personal Statement: I wrote about how making the distinction between art and design led me to self-actualization. It was really lame.

UC PIQs: I talked about overcoming my pessimistic inclinations, leadership, and travel experiences.

Decisions (indicate ED/EA/REA/SCEA/RD)

Acceptances:

• UC Irvine (committed)

• UC San Diego

• UC Davis

• UC Merced

• UC Santa Cruz

• Seattle University

Waitlists:

• UC Berkeley

• NYU

(really surprised with these ones! I applied comp-sci and was totally expecting outright rejections from here.)

Rejections:

• UCLA

• USC (got Trojan Transfer Plan because of legacy)

• UC Santa Barbara

• UC Riverside

Reflection:

Prior to my college applications, I set very low expectations as my stats and profile are far from stellar. Most importantly, I made sure not to get attached to any particular institution to save myself from any disappointment. Now, with my decisions largely concluded, I'm really happy with how everything turned out. Though, I honestly think I didn't get into the UCs on my own merits. I've seen in-state applicants with far superior profiles get flat-out rejected! It's absolute wack... they probably just want that out-of-state tuition.